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and see if their objections can be overcome. Develop editorial and media 
support for your bills. Learn if you can provide more information on bills 
to your legislators. Obtain support by letters and telegrams. Do not stop 
with environmental club—go outside this area if the issue warrants it by 
finding new friends and new organizations. Legislators can develop timing, 
strategy, and co-sponsors. Who the legislative sponsor is for your bill is 
often very important. “Some legislators do not have enough influence to 
pass the salt and pepper.” 
Some legislators have been in Springfield for over 25 years—and so 
have the professional lobbyists. They make promises, provide dinners, free 
trips, and donate campaign funds. Over 90 percent of the voters of this 
country do not contribute one dime to the political campaign expenses of 
a candidate, and yet they complain about graft and corruption. Most leg- 
islators appreciate some publicity in the press for sponsorship of bills; see 
to it that they get some. Houlihan also pointed out that your sources of 
information on bills must be sound, and a legislator must know that he 
can trust your facts. 
The “Legislative Digest” ($20.00 annually from the Legislative Refer- 
ence Bureau at the State Capitol in Springfield) is often late, but the bills 
are also late and so is the “Legislative Journal.” Not enough information 
gets out to the public on legislative hearings and bills. Do not be intimi- 
dated. Over 4,000 bills are introduced into the General Assembly, and you 
are probably better informed on those few you are interested in than the 
average legislator. 
Ian MacGowan of “Common Cause” gave us some further advice: Be 
bigger than you really are by finding friendly groups to expand your power. 
It is urgent that conservation groups build an alliance for single bills and 
singles issues. In this way, you can create “credibility” in your vaunted 
power. One of the main issues which Common Cause champions is the 
reform of the legislative process. At present it is making a survey of 
various legislatures in the nation and of Congress. It seeks to reform the 
“committee system” to make it more responsive to present needs. 
The Illinois Planning and Conservation League will print the voting 
record of legislators on. key issues and mail them to co-operating groups. 
The IPCL hopes such votes will be printed in various newsletters. There 
are over 75,000 members of conservation clubs in this state. If there is 
greater co-operation on major issues in the future, progress can be achieved. 
If each goes separate ways, the exploiters and their servants will profit. 
Tony Dean, the former editor of “Illinois Environmental News,” and a 
member of the Illinois Audubon Society, said, “If your local legislator is 
killing your pet bill, like the Scenic Rivers Bill, make him a less attractive 
candidate than he is.” 
“Find out who worked for his election, who paid his campaign bills, 
and who raised campaign funds for him. Find uncommitted voters and new 
voters. Change their minds on the issues. 
“Find good candidates. Push organizational politics. Make candidates 
know of your support. Do not be afraid to call your own conservation 
leaders at 6 a.m. or 11 p.m. to line up support on issues.” 
David Comey of the “Businessmen in the Public Interest,” and who was 
a lobbyist in New York State, urged the audience to “become the Ralph 
